For American audiences, Tim Howard is arguably one of the most recognizable American soccer players ever. Now he’ll be back in front of that audience, joining NBC Sports as a studio analyst for their upcoming English Premier League coverage.
Howard is certainly familiar with the Premier League played thirteen seasons in the EPL, first for Manchester United and then more famously for Everton, before joining MLS in 2016 and playing four seasons for the Colorado Rapids.
From NBC’s release:
Howard, who played in the Premier League from 2003-16 with Manchester United and Everton, will serve as a studio analyst at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
“I’m excited to re-join NBC Sports, where I got my start in broadcasting,” Howard said. “After playing for 13 years in the Premier League, and watching regularly since, I can’t wait to get into the studio to provide analysis on the League with Rebecca and the Robbies.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Tim back to our team,” said Pierre Moossa, coordinating producer of NBC Sports’ Premier League coverage. “As a full-time member of our broadcasts, Tim will provide our audience with a unique perspective as a goalkeeper who has played at the highest level in both the Premier League and in multiple World Cups.”
Howard made his broadcast debut with NBC Sports nearly seven years ago, joining Arlo White in the booth for a Chelsea-Manchester United match on Oct. 27, 2013. Over the next two seasons, he commentated on numerous Premier League matches and studio shows for NBC Sports.
In addition to that match experience in the middle of the decade (which came, somewhat controversially, while still an active player), Howard worked as a Champions League analyst for Turner starting in 2018. When he joined the CL team, Howard told Awful Announcing how he hoped to make broadcasting part of his post-playing career:
As legendary U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard approaches the end of his playing career, he wanted broadcasting to be a part of his life again.
So when the opportunity to join Turner Sports as an analyst for its new Champions League coverage— which begins next week with the UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid— presented itself, Howard knew that it was the right fit.
“It’s something that I want to be a part of as I come to the end of my career,” Howard told Awful Announcing over the phone on Wednesday. “It’s where I see myself. So part of that is getting in with the right company, which is the right fit for me.”
It’s been a big summer for Howard already off the field, as Amazon is developing his story into a movie, too. NBC’s EPL coverage has always been a very solid operation, and with Kyle Martino leaving there was certainly a need for another analyst. Asking Howard to be as comfortable and informative as Martino off the bat would be a tall order, but he’ll certainly have a quality operation around him.
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.